top of page


SECULAR ORDER OF DISCALCED CARMELITES
England, Wales and Scotland
A very special relationship
Some years ago I translated from the German of Erika Lorenz a book about the delightful relationship between St Teresa and Father...
cpblamires
Mar 1, 20242 min read
`Discerning the way forward
I spent yesterday with a Carmelite trying to discern a way forward from a present situation. I can't claim to have been involved in this...
cpblamires
Feb 29, 20241 min read
Washing feet
Today is the Feast of St Oswald, Archbishop of York and Bishop of Worcester (d.1992). Somehow it had escaped my attention that there are...
cpblamires
Feb 28, 20241 min read
People do not realise ...'
I had a message recently from a Secular who has been enduring a lot of suffering. I can't resist quoting a line or two from the message:...
cpblamires
Feb 27, 20241 min read
Location, location
I was talking to a friend who is setting up a new Secular group in a cafe in the middle of Manchester. I must confess, I looked a bit...
cpblamires
Feb 26, 20241 min read
Virtual Community
Last night was the night for the monthly meeting of our Carmelite Virtual Community. A small group of us meets on zoom for an hour and a...
cpblamires
Feb 23, 20241 min read
New groups
Something seems to be happening out there. I hear of a new group starting up in Manchester in April (see 'latest news' on the website.) ...
cpblamires
Feb 22, 20241 min read
Parish groups
The Secular Carmelites are not generally organised in parish groups, for members come from different parishes, sometimes at quite a...
cpblamires
Feb 21, 20241 min read
Wisdom from the Dominicans
At the Seculars meeting in Romsey, Hampshire last Saturday we enjoyed a visit from Sister Veronica of the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph,...
cpblamires
Feb 20, 20241 min read
The hand of Teresa
Yesterday I learned that the Carmelite convent in Ronda in Southern Spain is likely to close down soon. They are down to four Sisters. ...
cpblamires
Feb 19, 20241 min read
Inspiration from the Office of Readings
Today's Office of Readings contains a passage from and Early Church Father that looks as if it is designed specially for us Seculars...
cpblamires
Feb 16, 20241 min read
The Sacred Heart and Carmel
Today is the feast of St Claude de la Colombiere (1643-1682). This French Jesuit should be especially close to the hearts of British...
cpblamires
Feb 15, 20241 min read
Adult formation
I worked for a Catholic Charity as a fund-raiser for twenty-three years. I was tasked with travelling round the parishes and appealing...
cpblamires
Feb 14, 20241 min read
When the devil gets in
I have recently heard sad stories from one or two Secular Carmelite groups of destructive conflict and clashes that have led to decline. ...
cpblamires
Feb 13, 20241 min read
The healing of the leper
Some of our Secular meetings devote time to one or other version of lectio divina, a traditional method of meditation on Scripture...
cpblamires
Feb 12, 20241 min read
Publicity problems
We had our St Elijah Seculars Community meeting last night and we were talking about how to make the meetings better known. We started...
cpblamires
Feb 9, 20241 min read
A new Carmelite meeting
Yesterday I had the great delight of attending a new Carmelite meeting in Northampton. Yes, we were only five - but we did an impressive...
cpblamires
Feb 8, 20241 min read
An early follower of Teresa
News comes of one of Teresa's devoted early followers, Anne of Jesus (Ana de Lobera y Torres (1545-1621), whom Teresa called 'The...
cpblamires
Feb 7, 20241 min read
A Teresa shrine in India
The Communicationes, bulletin sent out from Rome to Secular Carmelites with news from around the world makes fascinating reading. Today...
cpblamires
Feb 6, 20241 min read
More on the poet Roy Campbell and Carmel
In my last post I wrote about the South African-born poet Roy Campbell (1901-1957), translator of the poems of St John of the Cross, and...
cpblamires
Feb 5, 20241 min read
bottom of page